At least in this one he acknowledges that Maori (at 23% behind non-Maori) have been long-term screwed over by the NZEI/PPTA system.

But then O’Connor makes it clear that he considers Maori groups to be so dumb that they cannot make decisions themselves for the well-being of their youth and that they are simply being “manipulated” into supporting Charter Schools.

O’Connor also shows his lack of academic integrity by continuing to ignore many of the positive results overseas.

Associate Professor Peter O’Connor from the University of Auckland says that the Act Party’s cynical manipulation of Maori disaffection with the current education system means the future of the charter school experiment now rests on an unlikely alliance between ACT and the Maori Party.

Maori have every reason to bedissatisfied with the current system but the international evidence is clear that charter schools will do nothing to lift Maori achievement. Charter schools are not about lifting student achievement despite the rhetoric of the government. It has always been about privatising the education sector.

Although the international evidence is overwhelmingly clear that unregistered and untrained teachers do not lift student achievement the courting of Maori by John Banks and Catherine Isaac now makes political sense in the light of Peter Dunne’s decision not to support the introduction of charter schools.

O’Connor suggests it will be a tragedy if this bill now becomes law without the kind of in depth public debate that such a radical change in our education system deserves, especially when there has never been any public mandate for such a change.

O’Connor says that charter schools were always a disaster in the making. It will be a tragedy if New Zealand has charter schools foisted on them because of a cup of tea deal and the cynical manipulation of Maori aspiration.

What is it about the status quo and ongoing failure of large and significant groups that serves the purposes of people like O’Connor and the teacher unions?

Why do they not want groups to have the ability to make decisions for themselves about the well being of their young people? Is there an unspoken left-wing institutionalised racism?

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Talk about hypocrisy… If the democratically elected government doesn’t have a mandate… Who the fuck is this academic noddy thinking he has some kind of mandate to speak on behalf of the parents… Who democratically elected the government?

wikiriwhi

The condescending drama queen is Janet Napolitano complaining Drudge is not a viable news source. It actually links to news sources and is arguably the most widely followed news source on the web.

Saccharomyces

“Director of the Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre” – what the fuck even is that?

LabTested

Applied Theatre – What the F*** is that? Just read the website. They were funded by Biosecurity NZ to do Applied Theatre to teach Pre-schoolers what to do if they saw the ‘Fall Webworm’ or other unusual species of Bugs.

10,000 Students benefited from this program ( which included 2 original songs)

The Head Tosser of a bunch of liberal elite wankers that think their little hobby is somehow so special and unique that it demands government funding.

I kinda like RC gliders, maybe I should get a jumped-up title like that and demand my own space at the trough? No wait, that’s just silly isn’t it..

LabTested

… “the international evidence is clear that charter schools will do nothing to lift Maori achievement”.

Really? how many International Maori Charter Schools are there?

As his website says – he should stick to: …writing extensively on applied theatre and drama education

Justsayn

How do they get these states about what proportion of this or that are Maori?

For instance, your 23%. Of those 23% how many are more than 50% Maori? How many are more Maori than anything else? If it just what you identify as then how many could do that if they wanted to (those that have ANY Maori heritage)? 30%? 60%?

I know that sounds redneck, but put it in another context – we often hear that Maori are disproportionately highly represented in child abuse stats. But are they? Could most of those people have equally (or more validly) said that there were European if they wanted to? If is a simple matter of what you choose to identify with, then that is hardly a basis for saying that “Maori” have a problem in that area.

Is it self fulfilling? Is someone with 25% Maori heritage more likely to identify themselves as Maori if they feel marginalized, but more likely to identify as European if they don’t feel marginalized?

Dave

Here is a non scientific poll from my school days, and for good measure, I asked my son who attended school in NZ approx 10 years ago. Our scientific conclusion:

Of those wagging and constantly being in trouble, expelled or suspended, a disproportionately high percentage were Maori. Couple that to other factors they themselves can influence, its bloody amazing they managed to do that well.

Simple philosophy for a good education, as they say. Turn up, Shut up, & Put up with it, listen, learn, practice, more practice, and the stats will improve. State or Charter schools wont make much of a difference, its near impossible to teach those that have no interest in learning or attending.

All that without his massive title, entitlement, and many years of highly scientific research, for which TAXPAYERS forked out a bomb. Time to review the Cost and Quality outcomes of Universities me thinks!

cows4me

I would have thought that if these academic eggheads are so certain charter schools are the spawn of Satan they would be promoting them. What better way of proving your point then having a miserable failure to point to.

Ururoa

I still don’t get Charter schools. Aren’t they just state subsidised private schools? If so, and there is a demand for them, then let private enterprise set up their own schools and run them as a business and keep my tax $$$ out of it. Recent examples would be schools like ACG, which appears to do very well and is private.

To me it just sounds like a way for the state to again subsidise private enterprise. If the demand is there then business will build it. There is no reason for the state to subsidise private profit oriented business.

Blair Mulholland

Well most schools are subsidised 90-100% by the State right now. Charter schools should be seen as a reduction of that state involvement in education, not an increase. Or are you advocating for a completely libertarian education system in private hands?

Ururoa

No, I support state education 100%. What I am saying is that if there are already private schools running profitably, why do we need charter schools? If there is a business case to be made setting up and running a school, leave it up to business. This just seems to me like the state subsidising private business.

Blair Mulholland

There is a clear cultural issue with Maori education. What clearer solution could there be to that than to allow Iwi and other organisations to run their own schools instead of making Maori students participate in an education system that is not culturally aligned with them?
I suspect O’Conner wants to perpetuate the problem rather than solve it.